Turnbull government pulls funding for polio eradication

Now, it is in danger of spreading again if it is not fully eradicated.

In this podcast, The Wire reports that the Australian government is planning to cut its polio eradication program by 25% this year.

Eradication isn’t far off, with Pakistan and Afghanistan the only two countries still affected. But the spread of refugees saw 223 polio cases in 2012 almost double to over 400 in 2013.

RESULTS Australia’s Global Health Campaign Manager Jeremy Brennan, who was at Canberra to advocate for the restoration of funding, speaks about the the need for our government to be fully committed to eradicating polio once and for all.